


Moonlight On Your Skin

by orphan_account



Series: Artists and Moonlight [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe- Modern Setting - Freeform, Alternate Universe- No Magic, Artist!Sirius, Fluff, Homophobia, M/M, Painting, Snape is not nice, Tattoo Artist!Regulus, Tattoos, University AU, modern marauders, poc characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 15:55:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5169692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Oceans of Fiction Blue:</p><p>Sirius visits his brother and gets a tattoo.  After watching the process, Remus asks Sirius to design something for him to help cover his scars.  Only Sirius can make Remus feel this beautiful.</p><p>"As they passed by the now-closed bookshop, Sirius stopped Remus and pushed him against the wall.  “Do you really like it?”</p><p>Remus brushed a hand down his torso, feeling the plastic and the raised skin under it.  “No.  I love it, Sirius.  It’s…it’s you.  And it’s me.  It’s everything.”</p><p>Sirius’ grin, Remus swore, could light the street if he let it.  “You’re so lovely.  I can’t get over it, Remus.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moonlight On Your Skin

**Author's Note:**

> So I had so much fun writing in this verse that I wanted to do it again. So here is the shorter sequel to Oceans of Fiction Blue. I'll probably do more as well, a little later down the road. The translations are below. Again I used a website for the Thai translations so if the pronouns are wrong, please feel free to correct them and I can update the fic.
> 
> A special thank you to my amazing beta, croatoanmary (who is on holiday now and i hope you have the best time! xx)

“Mmpff…S’rs?” He felt the wetness before he reached consciousness, and there could only be one real explanation for it, yet his head was still too near sleep to work it out. He cleared his throat, attempted to open his eyes, but could only manage to crack one into a small slit. “Sirius?”

“Quiet, love.”

Remus swallowed again, then attempted to move, but Sirius’ firm hand pressed down hard on his right shoulder.

“Don’t.”

Remus blinked his one open eye until the other joined it. The small, glowing clock on the nightstand said it was somewhere far past midnight, yet nowhere near a reasonable morning hour. “What are you doing?”

“I fucking swear to Christ if you talk again, you’ll be sorry.” There was no venom to the threat, which likely meant ‘you’ll be sorry’ had something to do with kissing him silent or maybe even blowing him so hard he lost all reason. It was tempting, but Remus was too tired and too curious about what all the wetness now spread across his back was.

Instead of arguing, he turned his head to the other side and let his eyes slip closed again. He was lulled by the careful rhythm of something sticky and warm gliding across the left side of his back. Sleep was claiming him, and his breathing evened out.

Above him, his lover sat straddling his upper thighs, one hand now bracing himself on Remus’ right buttock. He had two paintbrushes stuck in his bun, bristle side up. They’d dripped various colours into his dark locks, cascading down his forehead and along his cheeks, but he was paying his own skin no mind.

In his right hand he held a paintbrush with fanned bristles tipped in a vivid shade of green, and was twisting it carefully along the edge of one of Remus’ larger scars.

In fact, Remus’ entire back was a myriad of colours and brush strokes and patterns. They traced up and down the puckered and taut skin, a veritable rainbow of art. Sirius grinned to himself as he finished up with a small flourish. Pulling a thin-tipped brush from his hair, he dipped it into a deep blue glob on his palette and signed Remus’ back at the bottom with a massive S.B.

Setting the paints and brushes on his bedside table, Sirius moved away and leant down, pressing his lips to Remus’ unpainted shoulder. “All done, love,” he whispered. But Remus was already fast asleep.

*** 

“Sirius. Sirius!”

“Whassat?” Sirius cracked open one eye, then glowered at Remus, who was standing beside bed, his eyes narrowed. “What the fuck did you wake me up for?”

“Please tell me these paints wash off. Please tell me they were meant for skin.”

Sirius couldn’t help his smile in spite of the irritation he felt being woken up against his will. “Wouldn’t put anything on you that was harmful, Moons.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“It’ll wash off eventually.” Sirius yawned wide and long before turning over, his back to Remus. “Time you finished today?”

Remus huffed, realising Sirius wasn’t going to give him any kind of real answer. “Four. Why?”

“Wanna get a tattoo. Got an appointment. Come with me, yeah?”

Remus visibly softened. “Sure. Yeah. Pick me up?”

“Bike s’okay?”

Remus scowled, but shrugged anyway. “Yeah, alright.” He dipped low and pressed a soft kiss to the back of Sirius’ neck. “See you later.”

“Mmfphnfhp,” Sirius mumbled against the pillow, and Remus knew it was the best he’d get until later.

Turning on his heel, he walked out of Sirius’ room and into his own to change. Luckily he wore heavy jumpers at any given time of the year. And luckily it was fast approaching winter so no one would expect him to take it off. Slinging his favourite one over his shoulder, Remus grabbed his mobile and keys, and headed down to the kitchen for a cuppa.

Coming round the corner, he spotted James and Lily sat at the counter, and the kettle reaching a boil a few feet away. James was the first to notice the paint up the side of Remus’ neck and down his arm. “He painted you?”

Remus huffed, picking at a spot on his arm, but the colour stubbornly refused to budge. “Seems like it. He’s done this before?”

“We’ve woken up a bit…colourful in the past,” James said with a small grin.

Lily hid her smile behind her hand as she jumped up to fetch Remus’ mug from the cabinet. She handed it over as he rummaged through the tea box for the bag that looked _right_ that morning. He plonked it in and sat on a stool, waiting.

“Work today?” Lily asked after a bit. She sounded tired, but her green eyes were fixed on him with some interest.

“Mmm. Til four. Then Sirius asked me to go with him to get a tattoo.”

James’ eyebrows shot up. “He asked you to?”

Remus hesitated. “Why? Should I be concerned?” He was still getting used to having a proper boyfriend, and a live-in was more complicated than casual dating. Throw into the mix that it was Sirius Black, who was moody, fickle, and often overly eccentric, and Remus was right to feel a bit cautious. Especially with James’ expression.

“Er... no. He just... usually doesn’t let people tag along.”

Remus blinked, then shrugged as the kettle went off and he helped himself to the first of the water. Tattoos were not unusual for Sirius. He had a good dozen, maybe more—Remus hadn’t counted them all. But he had silhouettes of a deer, a doe, a dog, a rat, a willow tree cascading down his back with flowing branches, and footprints across his lower back. There were others, but Remus hadn’t had the chance yet to catalogue. Their nights together were usually late, under the duvet.

“Well I suppose I feel…lucky then?” Remus ventured.

James laughed and reached over to squeeze Remus’ shoulder. “Just don’t be surprised if he talks you into one. It’s how I got this.” James pulled down the neck of his t-shirt and revealed two dog paws.

Remus shook his head. “Oh…I wouldn’t worry about that. Never been inclined.”

James gave him a look which read, ‘just you wait,’ because it _was_ Sirius and even only having lived there a short while, Remus knew when Sirius wanted something, he usually got it. Remus shook his head again in response to James’ expression, and was rewarded with another laugh.

“See you later, yeah? You want anything specific for tea? Though not sure you’ll be home in time.”

Remus frowned, then shook his head. “I think Sirius and I will sort it out. Thanks.”

As had become the custom, James leant in and kissed Remus on his cheek. Lily did the same as he made his way to the door. Just before stepping out, he shrugged on his jumper and headed for the shop. 

*** 

“Er, Remus? You alright, love?”

Remus looked up at Dori, his coworker at the shop. She was giving him a concerned look as she pushed an empty mug across the counter. He blinked at it, realised it was his, then gave her a sheepish smile. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Quirking an eyebrow, she shook her head. “You’ve been dotty before, love, but this is something quite special.”

Remus laughed, running a hand down his face. “No, I er…” He turned round and flicked on the kettle which was perched on an old, wooden stool behind the cash till. “Sirius is coming by today.”

Dori leant her elbow on the top of the counter, resting her chin on her knuckles. “Right. Well, he does come here often. He’s your boyfriend and boyfriends tend to visit. Quite a lot in his case.”

Remus’ cheeks went a bit pink as he recalled the last time Sirius had showed up, and Dori had walked in on them in the supply cupboard at the top of the stairs. They hadn’t been doing anything too untoward, though had she interrupted maybe five minutes later, there would have been a very different story to tell.

“No, he’s…he wants me to go with him to get his new tattoo.”

“Are you against them?”

Remus shook his head quickly. “No, of course not. But…James mentioned him talking me into having one of my own.”

“And you’re against that?” she ventured. “Is it a religious thing?”

Remus laughed. “Would be if I was at all. Which I’m not. Or well, not enough to make it count as I’m not sure there is a God.” He blushed. “I’ve done it again, haven’t I?”

She laughed. “You know it’s fine. I love when you get all theological on me.”

Remus huffed, but was smiling. “I’ve just…I’ve never thought, you know? About what I might have if I got one. And it seems like something you might want to take your time with.”

“Might be, yeah. I mean, I’ve done a few myself that I didn’t think through.” She lifted up her shirt to reveal a series of birds intertwined with a flower chain going up her ribs. “Hurt though, this spot. It was very unpleasant.”

“Well it’s not the pain...” he said, thinking of how half his body was covered in skin that was very nearly numb. And frankly, being shredded apart and having your arm nearly ripped off by wolves made anything else pale in comparison.

“You know he loves you. He won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do.”

Remus snorted. “It’s Sirius we’re talking about. Sirius Black? Who always gets his way?”

Dori’s grin widened. “Yes, well…”

Just then she was interrupted by both the sound of the kettle and of the shop door opening and closing. As Remus poured the hot water, clicking motorbike boots echoed through the room. He was just fetching a bag of tea when Sirius’ head poked round the corner. 

Remus looked up to see his boyfriend there, wearing tight black jeans, a lavender tunic-like shirt—which Remus knew he’d nicked from Lily’s wardrobe as he’d heard her complaining about it going missing two days prior—and a bit of pink gloss, his hair in a wild bun near the top of his head. He leant his head sideways against the shoulder which held his leather jacket, and he winked at Remus, giving him a wide smile.

“Ah, my gorgeous moonbeam.” He walked over, pressed a kiss to Dori’s cheek, then grabbed Remus by the front of his jumper and hauled him in for a fierce kiss. With tongue. A bit of hot water sloshed out of the mug and onto a stack of flyers advertising a local poetry reading at a nearby pub.

“Sirius,” Remus said, his words muffled against hot lips, “this is a bit unprofessional.”

Sirius pulled back with an audible pop, and winked at Dori. “She doesn’t mind. Do you, love?”

“Hard to say no to that pretty face.” She took a step back. “I’ll be in the office if you two need me. You still have another hour, Re. Don’t sneak out early.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” Remus said, his cheeks still pink with embarrassment at the display.

“Don’t be cross, love,” Sirius admonished. His smile was wide, lighting up his entire face, the grey in his eyes almost twinkling.

Remus couldn’t be cross if he tried. “It’s fine. You want to help me with the re-shelving?”

Sirius pulled a face, but hooked his ankle round the cart full of the book returns. “Yeah, alright. Any chance you’d blow me in the stacks if I do a good job?”

Remus rolled his eyes. “Not as such. But perhaps later.”

Sirius gave him a sharp, wolfish grin. “Excellent. I like that answer.” He curled his fingers round the hand that Remus wasn’t using to hold the tea, and pulled him round the counter. “Come on.”

Remus huffed, but allowed himself to be pulled along the shelves of books, and they stopped near the back wall. Sirius took the mug from Remus’ hands, setting it on the shelf nearby, then cupped Remus’ face and kissed him again.

“Been missing you all day.”

Remus laughed, his hand curving round Sirius’ hip. The shirt was very soft under his fingers. “You look very pretty today.”

Sirius beamed at him. “You think so?”

“Yes, of course. But I always think you’re pretty. Lily is going to murder you in your sleep when she finds out you took this, though.”

“Not if she doesn’t find out.” Sirius pushed him against the shelf and drew his open mouth along the underside of Remus’ jaw. “You still all painted up?”

Remus nodded, shuddering a bit. “Woke up late,” he murmured as Sirius kissed a line down his neck. “Didn’t have time to wash it off.”

Sirius breathed him in, then sat back. “Did you like it?”

Remus laughed, dragging his hand down Sirius’ face. “Well…normally I would say no, but I seem to find everything you do lovely.”

Sirius laughed. “ _You’re_ lovely, wǎan jai.”

Remus smiled, shaking his head. “I have work to do.”

“Work work, always work,” Sirius whinged.

“Well the sooner I work, the sooner I can be finished and we can…do your…your thing.”

“Tattoo.” Sirius leant back as Remus pulled away and began to pull books from the stack on the cart. He watched him with a frown. “Are you upset about it?”

Remus looked over. “Upset?”

“I mean, you’ve not been fussed about my others.”

Blinking, he shook his head. “Er. No, not at all. It’s just James said…”

“Bloody James,” Sirius spat. “Always James being a prat.”

“He only mentioned you might want me to er…have one. As well.”

Sirius lifted one eyebrow. “Would you even want one?”

“I don’t know,” Remus answered thoughtfully. He shelved a few of the books, beckoning Sirius to follow him toward the non-fiction section. “I hadn’t really ever thought.”

Sirius licked his lips, then said, “You could get my name tattooed right above your arse.” For emphasis, he reached out and gave it a squeeze.

Remus huffed, rolling his eyes. “Or not.”

“Rude,” Sirius complained.

“It’s not rude, it’s practical. Why would I want your name above my arse?”

“Because my name is lovely and so is this.” He gave it a squeeze again, and Remus batted his hand away. “Fine. Er…well I could draw you something. If you like.”

Remus pondered this as he emptied the non-fiction books from the cart. The truth of it was, he and Sirius had only been dating for a short time. At least compared to James and Lily, or Alice and Frank. And though he thought it was going very well and he was very happy, it didn’t mean it would last forever.

And yet, the idea had some appeal. If the relationship ended tomorrow, he’d still want to remember Sirius. Maybe not with his name tattooed above his arse, but if it was something Sirius drew on his own…

“Customer,” Sirius said mildly.

Remus blinked out of his daze. “Er? What?”

“Customer.” Sirius nodded toward the front where they could just make out an arm covered by a dark coat poked round the side of the first shelf.

“Ah. Just…finish this up, would you?” He hurried off, leaving an indignant Sirius with the rest of the re-stocking. Coming round the corner, Remus came to a halt when he saw the man. He was tall and thin, with lanky black hair all-but hanging in his sour face.

The man looked up at Remus with a small sneer. “I’m looking for your Christian section.”

Remus glanced over, then nodded to the sign. “It’s just there. It’s not a large section. We only have-”

“I’m aware. This isn’t my first time in your shop.” He snapped, then turned on his heel and marched over to the non-fiction section. Remus had to wonder why he bothered to ask if he’d been there before. Still, he was in no mood to try and sort out a barmy customer, instead heading to Sirius, who had moved on to the very last aisle and was sorting out the last four books.

“Alright?” Sirius asked.

“Just a rude customer is all,” Remus said. He took the last book and shelved it, then glanced over at his untouched tea, sighing with the realisation it had been out of his possession for too long and he wouldn’t be drinking it. 

Sirius didn’t seem to be fussed about it, pushing the cart to the side and reaching out to touch Remus’ face. “Give us a kiss, love?”

Remus smiled, leaning forward to do so. When he pulled back, Sirius turned, and the man looking for religious books came round the corner. He looked at Remus and sneered.

“Thought as much.”

Remus quirked an eyebrow. “Sorry?”

“Homosexuals.”

“Oh I thought I recognised that voice.” Sirius spun back round and fixed a glower on the stranger. “Snivellus.”

The man’s eyes widened a fraction, then he shook his head. “I should have known. I should have guessed this shop would be frequented by a degenerate sodomite like yourself.”

Remus’ eyes widened. “I’m sorry but…”

“You are. Very sorry. You’ll be very sorry when you’re burning in hell. I think I won’t spend my quid here.” He dropped the book on the floor, spun on his heel, and marched out.

Remus stared after him, mouth slightly agape. “What…?” He turned to Sirius. “You knew him?”

Sirius’ face was twisted into a dark sneer, his eyes fixed on the door as though the man might return. “Unfortunately. He was at school with us. Me and James.”

Remus shook his head. “That man?”

Sirius nodded. “Right bloody pig, he was. Got my brother’s head all stuffed with that bigoted _rubbish_.” Sirius stopped to take a breath, and Remus took a step closer to him. “That’s when I…when we…” He stopped and shook his head. “He was by Reg’s side the entire time we were at school. Whispering. Going on and on about hell and everything.” Sirius rolled his eyes as Remus finally crossed the distance between them.

“I’m sorry,” Remus said, taking Sirius by the shoulders. “You don’t deserve that.”

Sirius shook his head. “It’s fine. I mean it’s not fine, he’s a twat. But my brother got his head out of his arse. Not sure if he sees Snape anymore.”

“Snape?”

“Severus Snape. James and I always called him Snivellus at school.”

Remus couldn’t help a small laugh. “That’s a bit…silly.”

“Oy, we were twelve when we came up with it. It was clever for the time,” Sirius defended quickly. He curled his fingers round Remus’ wrists and squeezed them. “Either way, it just figures he’d wander in here. Probably knew it was Dori’s shop and that I might come round. He never got over our school rivalry.”

“That’s…I mean, that was ages ago,” Remus mused. “Bit odd, isn’t it?”

“Well he’s a petty shit, so I’m not surprised.” Sirius leant forward and pressed a kiss to the tip of Remus’ nose. “Anyway, go finish up, love. I’d like to get the bloody hell out of here sometime this century.”

Rolling his eyes, Remus complied, and a half hour later his shift was over, and he was calling a hasty goodbye to Dori as Sirius all-but dragged him from the shop. They marched outside, and Sirius walked right by the motorbike, to Remus’ extreme confusion.

“It’s not far, just round the corner. You want to grab something to eat on the way? Tattoo might take some time and we’ll miss tea.”

Remus shook his head. “Er, no, I’m fine. We can get something after.”

Sirius laced their fingers together and pulled him along. They walked up the street, round the corner, and Remus spotted the small, glowing sign in the window of a narrow shop. Tattoo, it read, the only indication of the shop they were looking for. Sirius pulled Remus to the door, flung it open, and marched in.

The shop itself was smallish, with a sofa near the front window, and a low table in the centre of the room, stacked with black photo books. The walls were all-but covered in paintings and drawings, some looking like tattoo options, others massive canvas of everything from landscape, to people, to skulls with flames bursting out of the eye sockets.

At the front was a short wooden desk with a woman lounging behind it. Both arms were covered in colourful designs, and she had gauges in her ears stretched wide. Her bleached and purple hair was pulled back, and she had a septum ring with a dangly bit which hung near her lip. Her mouth stretched into a smile when she saw the pair.

“Sirius!”

“Hallo Nym.” Sirius walked over, leant over the desk, and kissed her cheek. “Is he ready?”

“Finishing up a piercing,” the woman—Nym—said. She turned amused eyes on Remus and looked him up and down. “This him, then? The one James loves so much?”

Remus flushed and looked at Sirius who was casually leant against the counter, one arm crossed over his chest, biting down on one of his nails on the other hand. “Yeah, that’s him. Love of my life, if you must know.”

Remus huffed and shook his head. “It’s Remus, since he’s rude and doesn’t understand proper introductions.”

Sirius grinned as Nym laughed. “Well this is my cousin,” Sirius said. “Nymphadora Tonks. But never call her Nymphadora or she’ll murder you. When you least expect it.”

“I can’t imagine many murders are expected in the first place,” Remus deadpanned.

“Well I make mine extra sneaky,” she replied with a shrug. “You can call me Nym, only because you seem like a good sort. Everyone else calls me Tonks.”

Remus winked. “I’m not going to comment on your judge of character, calling me a good sort.”

Nym laughed. “He’s cute, Sirius.” She turned back to Remus. “You’re cute. I like when he brings cute ones.”

“He’s taken,” Sirius bit at her.

“I’m not interested, you possessive fuck.” She rolled her eyes. “Remus, don’t let him get away with being insufferable. It sets a standard you’ll hate yourself for later.”

Remus shuffled his feet and smiled, not quite sure what to say. “I think I’m a bit late, I’m afraid.”

“He is,” Sirius said with a nod. “But he loves it.”

“Love is such a strong word,” Remus shot back.

“Everyone’s against me!” Sirius shouted, throwing his arms up.

Just then, the door against the back wall opened and another man walked out. He looked so strikingly like Sirius that Remus took a startled step backward. His hair was shorter, with a sharp undercut, and the longer part was twisted into a topknot. He was wearing tight jeans and a black and white striped shirt, had his nose and lip pierced, and his left arm was covered in tattoos so close together it would take Remus ages to sort them out individually.

His eyes were also dark brown instead of grey, but he had the same nose, curved chin, and aristocratic cheekbones as Sirius did. He was maybe an inch shorter, if that, and it was only noticeable as he came to stand directly across from Sirius.

“Ran into your friend this afternoon,” Sirius said, picking at his nail and not looking up. “He was a _delight,_ as usual.”

Regulus, Remus guessed.

“He came by,” Regulus said with a shrug. “Complaining about you being allowed out in public. I told him I tried to get you trained up proper, but it was a lost cause.”

“You are such an arse,” Sirius hissed at him.

“Flattery will get you nowhere.” Regulus turned his attention to Remus. “This him, then? The one you’re corrupting into sodomy?”

Remus’ face blushed bright red. “I’m afraid I was already corrupted. But it’s nice to meet you.”

Sirius broke into a grin, and he grabbed Remus, yanking him over. “Isn’t he gorgeous?” Sirius preened.

Regulus shrugged. “Not my type, but I can see why you like him. Anyway, are you ready? Or are we going to stand here all night?”

Remus’ eyebrows shot up. “You’re the tattoo artist?”

Regulus shrugged. “I am. Runs in the family, artistic talent. Sirius, of course, chose the path to starvation. Painting gets you nowhere.”

Sirius rolled his eyes. “He’s only jealous because he sold himself out for money.”

“Nah, didn’t need to. I inherited everything.” Regulus had the same, sharp grin that his brother did, and Remus watched wordlessly as Sirius followed his brother into the back room. They were something to behold, those two. Otherworldly almost. It was like peeking into the tragedy of Sirius’ past from a place of wonder. He blinked, unable to pull himself from the sight as he watched them through the window. They were both incredibly beautiful and, as only siblings could be, in sync with each other in an almost ancient way.

“They’re something, aren’t they?” Nym said, breaking the silence.

Remus coughed, then nodded. “Something. Yes, that’s a good word for it.”

“What would you call it?” Nym asked, leaning forward slightly.

Remus shrugged. “Chaval al ha zman.” He laughed at her confusion, but didn’t translate. “Shall I wait here, then?”

“Oh, he probably wants you to go back,” Nym said with a shrug. “Though you’re welcome to stay out here and chat with me. It’ll make him all annoyed and jealous.”

Remus laughed. “As tempting as that is, I think I’d like to watch. I’ve never had one, before. A tattoo. And he hasn’t told me what he’s getting.”

Nym motioned for him to walk back, so Remus did, walking into the back room with careful steps. Sirius and Regulus were bent low over a table, looking at a drawing, and Sirius glanced back briefly when Remus entered. He smiled, then went back to the conversation which, Remus realised as he listened, was entirely in Thai.

With no hope of understanding, he sank into the chair nearest to the door and waited for them to finish up. With a huff, Regulus took the sheets of paper in his hands. “I’ll go make stencils. Just get comfortable and get your shirt off. Face down on the table before I get back.”

Sirius gave him a mock-salute. “Absolutely, tattoo god-SIR.”

Regulus rolled his eyes. “It’s a bloody miracle someone actually likes you, let alone loves you.” Then he was gone.

Remus turned surprised eyes at Sirius. “You told him I love you?”

“Well, it’s not a secret, is it?”

Remus shook his head. “Well, er, no…I just…I’m surprised you talk about me.”

Sirius barked a small laugh and grabbed Remus by the front of the jumper, kissing him hard before backing away and pulling his own shirt off. “I can’t get enough of you. You’re all I want to talk about. You _consume_ me.”

Remus shivered at this, at the intensity in Sirius’ voice, but he didn’t draw attention to it. Instead he asked, “What tattoo are you getting?”

“Phases of the moon. For my Moony.” Sirius laughed and winked as he hopped up on a cushioned, long table. He leant up on his elbows, stretching his back into an arch before laying back down and turning his face toward Remus. “You want to get something done tonight? I’m sure Reg won’t mind.”

Remus bit down on his bottom lip. “Well I was thinking I might…I might not hate it if I got something.”

Sirius looked surprised. “Really?”

Remus nodded. He’d been thinking about it since James said something, and his mind kept wandering back to one thing. “A constellation. For you.”

Sirius blinked. “Well, I mean you know mine’s small. Sirius. It’s part of Canis Major which looks a bit like a dog and well…”

“I know that,” Remus said, interrupting him softly. “It’s…well of course I like it. It’s yours. But I was thinking you could…draw me one. Make up your own.”

Sirius blinked. “Oh. I…oh.”

“If you want. Maybe that’s a bit silly,” Remus said quickly.

But Sirius was climbing off the table again and crouching down between Remus knees and kissing him hard. “I would love to,” he breathed. “Only it might not get done tonight.”

“That’s okay,” Remus said. “I wasn’t planning on getting a tattoo whilst my body’s covered in paint.”

Sirius laughed and yanked at the bottom of Remus’ jumper. “Take it off. Let me see it before Reg gets back.”

Remus complied, pulling the jumper off his head, and dropping it onto the chair. He allowed Sirius to lift the edge of his shirt as he pulled him to the mirror, and he hummed. It really was a work of art, as was everything Sirius did. Each scar was a swirl of colour, cascading across his torso, down his arm, round his back. Remus had no idea how Sirius got so much access to his skin during his sleep, but he could hardly complain when Sirius made him feel so beautiful.

“Damn lovely,” he whispered into Remus’ ear.

Remus blushed as he turned toward Sirius and kissed him hard.

“Human canvas now?” came a drawl. Regulus walked into the room and looked at the pair of them. “Is that what you were doing in front of Severus today?”

Sirius snorted a laugh. “No, but we ought to have been. The look on his face would have been a good laugh to last me all week.” He pulled away very slowly, dragging his hand along Remus’ cheek as he walked back to the cushioned table and laid face down again.

Reg mumbled something under his breath in Thai, and Sirius smirked. When Remus frowned, Sirius said, “He thinks we’re cute.”

“It disgusts me to say it in English,” Regulus said. He began to take out tools from his small desk, laying out small pots of tattoo ink, his tattoo gun, a tray with a bit of white goo on it, and a spray bottle.

He spritzed Sirius’ back with something from a white bottle, thenand dragged a straight razor down the centre of his back. Remus watched with some fascination as Regulus prepared the work. After the shaving, Sirius’ brother smeared a clear stick of something on his back, then began to press squares of paper down his spine. There were five in all, a few inches by a few inches each in width and length.

When Regulus pulled them away, Remus saw they were, indeed, the phases of the moon.

“Here, go make sure you like it,” Reg said, handing Sirius a mirror.

Climbing from the table, Sirius went to the mirror and examined himself. “Looks good. Yeah. I like it.” He climbed back on, then beckoned Remus a bit closer. “It’s going to take ages. You comfy there?”

“Quite, yes.” Remus shifted the chair close and didn’t take his eyes off Regulus’ hands as he plugged his tattoo gun into a long wire. Remus saw his foot move, and a loud buzzing filled the room. It was startling at first, a bit overwhelming, but interesting nonetheless.

“Alright, I’m going to do the outline, then we’ll see how you feel before we get any shading done,” Reg said.

“Well, you know me,” Sirius offered.

Regulus snorted. “I do know, which is why I’m not leaving it up to you. Now shut the fuck up so I can work.”

And then he got to work. He dipped the tip of the needles into the ink, turned the gun on, and began to make delicate lines all across the stencil. Luckily for Remus, Sirius didn’t want to talk through the process. His face was a bit pale, drawn in pain as it was obviously a sensitive area. But he didn’t balk or move, and from what Remus could see, his muscles were relaxed.

Regulus worked diligently, making sure every line was perfect, every phase of the moon was done just so. He checked on Sirius several times during the process, making sure he didn’t need a rest or a break. Remus was so drawn in, he didn’t realise three hours had passed until his stomach gave a funny lurch just as Regulus wiped blood off the very last moon. He had, in the end, done the shading, and the set was complete.

Sirius got up, wiping his hand across his brow, and grimaced until Regulus smeared a bit of the clear goo across his back. “How’s it look?”

“Well all my tattoos are a fucking work of art,” Reg said, peeling his gloves off, “but I’d say this one is particularly spectacular.”

Sirius grinned, looking a bit loopy and wobbly about the mouth. He took the mirror and got up, walking to the tall one against the door and looked at himself. The tattoo was red, a bit irritated and raised, but it was very, very lovely.

“Who drew that?” Remus ventured, speaking for the first time since the process began.

“I did,” Regulus replied. “Sometimes I’ll do Sirius’ work, but he asked me for this one after he told me about you.”

Remus licked his lips, drawing closer to Sirius. “Do you like it?”

Sirius looked over at Remus with heavy-lidded eyes. “I fucking love it.”

Remus nodded. His hand hovered over it, not touching it, just feeling the heat radiating off the skin there. “I want one. I absolutely do.”

Sirius was beaming, and he turned to Reg. “Book something for Moony, will you?”

“What’s he getting?” Regulus reached over for a black appointment book.

“Constellation.”

“Where?”

Sirius turned eyes to Remus, who cleared his throat and looked back at Sirius’ brother. “Can you... er,will it work on scar tissue?”

Reg raised a brow. “Usually. Depends though. Can you show me?”

Remus nodded, and caught Sirius’ cautious gaze, but lifted his shirt anyway to reveal the marred flesh. The worst of it was on his torso, where they’d sewn him together more crudely than the rest of him. His nipple had been ripped off completely, and it was just massacred flesh now. In spite of the paint still on his skin, the damage was obvious.

“Something here? I want…I want it to look…” Remus stopped.

Regulus got up, and with a calculated look, reached out a hand. “May I?”

Remus nodded. “It’s fine.”

Regulus’ cool fingers, less callused than Sirius’ were, dragged along the skin there. It was a clinical touch, nothing like the tenderness of his brother, though Remus supposed that was a good thing. Regulus prodded at the skin, using two fingers to stretch it as far as it could go, then stepped back with a nod. “I can make it work. Is it numb?”

“Mostly,” Remus said.

“That makes it a bit more dangerous, as you won’t be able to tell if we’re working the skin too hard. But I’ll just give us a time limit.” He went back to his book and said, “Thursday next. Five should be good. I can have Nym go out and get us something for tea if we go on too long.”

Sirius looked at Remus who nodded again. “Yes, that’s…that’s good. Sirius, can you do something by then?”

“I can,” Sirius said. There was something in his tone Remus couldn’t quite read, but figured he’d ask him about it later.

Regulus went to work dressing the tattoos in clear plastic, giving Sirius a dry speech about when to take it off and how to care for it. It was obvious Sirius had heard it a dozen or more times. Before long, they were saying goodbye to Nym and heading out.

They made their way back toward Sirius’ bike, Remus pausing just by the kerb. “Will it hurt too much if I hold your back?”

Sirius shook his head. “Nah. I’m not worried about it.” He gave Remus a quick look. “Thanks for coming with me.”

Remus nodded. “I was…well…” He ran his hands into his curls and let out a breath. “It felt important. Special. I don’t think I’ve got the right words in English.”

Sirius laughed. “I love you.”

“Bo he-na,” Remus said, and tugged him close. “Ani ohev otach, Sirius.”

Sirius bowed his head and pressed it hard against Remus’. “You’re everything, you know that, Moony? Fucking everything.”

Remus felt a chill of fear creeping up his spine at what Sirius was saying, because he did know it. He _felt_ it in his very bones. In his core. Deep down and so consuming. And he knew if this ended, if things went sour, it would flay him alive, leaving him bare and broken forever. But the risk was worth it. For these arms holding him, for the lips kissing him. For the whispered words in the middle of the night. For waking up to his lover painting his scars and making them something new and beautiful.

“Let’s go home,” Sirius whispered after a moment. And then they did.

*** 

Remus was almost trembling as he took his shirt off. He was in the tattoo parlour again, this time for his turn. Sirius had done the constellation. It was a quarter moon, and a dog in a series of stars, with a faint outline of a wolf and dog shadowed on top of it. “He’ll do the dog and wolf in shading, and the moon and constellation in stark lines. I’ve already gone over it with him. It’ll look exactly like I’ve drawn.”

It was beautiful. It was very large, and would cover a big piece of his chest, but it would be worth it. His scars would be something beautiful, something Sirius created. Forever. And even if it didn’t work out, Remus knew he could never regret this. Though the thought of it not working out wasn’t something he could even wrap his mind around.

He was in a chair which was reclined slightly, shivering a bit at the draft. Regulus was sat beside him getting everything prepared, and Sirius was straddling a backward chair, one hand gently toying with the fingers on Remus’ right hand.

“Nervous?” he asked.

Remus shook his head. “Not as such.” He stopped, then laughed. “Alright, maybe a little. This is the maddest thing I’ve ever done. I mean…I can’t believe I’m getting a tattoo…” He cut himself off when he realised he was rambling nervously.

“Ahhh Moony, mâi pen rai ná, khon dii,” Sirius said, reaching over to stroke his cheek. “Just breathe through it.”

Remus was soothed by the quiet touch, and the lilt in Sirius’ voice. He looked over at Regulus, who was watching him carefully.

“You okay?” Reg asked.

Remus nodded. “I’m ready for this.”

Reg nodded, added the clear stick, then pressed the very large stencil across his chest. Remus worried for a moment that it wouldn’t stick properly to the scarring, but when he peeled it away, he sucked in his breath. It was there, covering a large portion of the scars, and he blinked in surprise at how beautiful it looked.

“I…” he whispered.

Sirius was staring. “Love?”

Remus gulped. “Yes no I…it looks good. Perfect.”

Reg nodded, then began to prepare his tools. Remus let his eyes close as he listened to Reg prepare everything. He lost himself in the feel of Sirius tracing lines along his palm, in the quiet breathing of his lover which matched his own, of the thumping of his heart against his ribs.

Then a gentle hand touched him on the arm. “Ready?”

Remus nodded. “I am.”

The whole process took three hours. It was painful in some places, numb in others. The buzzing was an irritant even when the skin felt very little, but there was something cathartic about it. Something which made him feel like he was taking his past pain back for himself. Sirius had proven to him he wasn’t ugly, that his scars weren’t preventing him from being loved by a person he deserved to be loved by.

And now he was proving that. With this on his chest.

When it was over, Reg stood back, nodding at it. He was obviously pleased with his work, and Remus dared a look down. It was…well, there were very little words for it. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Sirius was staring at it as well, eyes darting between the tattoo and Remus’ face. “It’s very you, Moony,” he finally said.

Remus couldn’t help his laugh, and felt a bit heady as he stood up and walked to the mirror. His hand hovered over it, as he’d done with Sirius’. He felt that same heat to his skin, and he flexed his fingers.

“You’ll have to come back for a touch up in about a month or so,” Reg said as he beckoned Remus over. With a gloved hand, he smeared some soothing gel over the tattoo, then began to tape bits of clear plastic over it. He gave Remus the same speech about care. “Sirius can help if you don’t remember. He’s been here enough.”

Remus, who still had Sirius’ hand in his, drew his thumb along his lover’s wrist. “You’ve done all his work?”

Sirius snorted. “Like I’d trust anyone else to ink my skin forever. Reg might be a fucking twat-faced shit-weasel, but he’s the best.”

“I hate you,” Regulus said, but he was grinning. He peeled his gloves off and stood back. “I am good though. I mean damn, I am really good.”

“And so humble,” Sirius said, but he was smiling as well.

With careful motions, Remus pulled his shirt back on, and after arranging to see Regulus another time not related to tattooing, Sirius and Remus made their way back outside. They’d taken the tube this time, so they started the trek down the street, hand-in-hand.

As they passed by the now-closed bookshop, Sirius stopped Remus and pushed him against the wall. “Do you really like it?”

Remus brushed a hand down his torso, feeling the plastic and the raised skin under it. “No. I fucking love it, Sirius. It’s…it’s you. And it’s me. It’s everything.”

Sirius’ grin, Remus swore, could light the street if he let it. “Fuck, you’re so lovely. I can’t get over it, Remus.”

Remus pulled him close, tracing Sirius’ bottom lip with the tip of his finger before he bent in to kiss him. “Thank you,” he breathed. “For giving me this.”

“It’s not…”

“No,” Remus interrupted. “It is. It’s everything. You are everything. You’re fucking…so much, Sirius. So much wonder, and… And I never thought in my entire life I could get this lucky. Yet here I am.”

Sirius looked stunned for a moment, like he didn’t know what to say, and instead kissed Remus fiercely. “I guess here we both are. And I’m not letting go.” 

Remus fisted his hand in the front of Sirius’ shirt and held him firm. Meeting his gaze, he nodded his head. “Good. Because neither am I.”

**Author's Note:**

> mâi pen rai ná, khon dii- come, it’ll be all right, my love
> 
> bo he-na- Come Here
> 
> Ani ohev otach- I love you


End file.
